prune picker

This is the blog of a prune picker. (Native born Californian) Retired oilfield. I am an old man. I blog a lot about my body and getting old. As I approach death life gets more interesting. More interesting is not good. I still drive. I attend sports, music, and civic events. I am writing my memoirs. I attend swim class three times a week. Some of my blogs might be interesting. A lot of my blogs are silly and trivial. None are very long.

Friday, May 31, 2019

May 2019 Vital Signs.

On the 21st day and the 22nd day of May I hit new lows. And then I gained it back. I guess that I relax when I hit a new low. Good blood pressures, after relaxing for four minutes. Very steady temperatures. New goal is 206 by end of June. Should be easy as I have been below 206 twice.


Wednesday, May 29, 2019

I want to go with Mark!

My number 2 grandson has started on a grand adventure. He is riding his bike on the Pacific Crest Bike Trail. It is 2500 miles from the Mexican border to the Canadien border. To be honest his Mother drove him 100 miles south to the Mexican border. I did not see any pictures of the wall.

After he reaches Canada Mark is going to turn right and bike to Maine. (about 3500 miles) He hopes to get there before winter sets in. I am excited and wish that I could go with him. (But I do not have a bike, darn it.)



Mark's planned trip sure does show up my 130 mile bike ride from Bakersfield to Pomona.

Monday, May 27, 2019

14th Annual Veterans Fish Fry. Curtesy of Cook Church.

We were all there! And thanked for our service and royally fed. Let us see. Saturday I had bacon and eggs at the Unionville Store. Then a visit to the Farmers Market where a bag of Kettle Popcorn snuck into the trunk of my Ford. Sunday I visited Starbucks and had a delicious cup of Old Fashioned Oatmeal.  Then today I had a delicious fish fry at Cook Church. How am I supposed to reach my ideal weight by July 20, 2020?

Tomorrow morning is the usual delicious Tuesday morning breakfast at the VFW Post. Prepared by two of the nicest ladies this side of heaven.



A great Southern feed of  catfish, fries, hushpuppies, and slaw. Only lacking a big slice of fresh onion.


Handsome Richard Jones as usual was all over the place. He caught every fish! I think.


This is the 14th Annual Memorial Day big free fish fry for veterans that Cook has put on. I love it! They started it about the year that Jackie and I moved to Ruston. I have been to many. If you put Cook Church in the search box in the right column of this blog links to some of my previous blogs will show up.

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Sunday morning visit to Starbucks.

Another delicious cup of oatmeal. Made a time lapse video.


Saturday, May 25, 2019

Trip to Ruston Farmers Market. Rickey Pittman plays and sings.

Nice day. Nice trip to the Ruston Farmers Market. Rickey plays and sings grest. I enjoyed his performance.





I do not understand how this bag of Kettle Popcorn got into my trunk?


Sunday, May 19, 2019

Nice of Willie to attend Ethan's Graduation Party.

Went to my great grand son Ethan's Graduation Party yesterday. A grand affair! The party was held at Ethan's church which is located across the street form Willie Robertson's home. (of Duck Dynasty fame) It was nice of Willie to come over to the party.


Here are some more pics from the party.





These folks are sending a signal with their fingers.



Friday, May 17, 2019

A West Monroe Family.

Very nice looking family!



They are the Newberrys.  Ethan, Ross, Christian, Joy (Mom), and David (Dad). I remember them now. I first saw Joy (my grand daughter) when she was an infant. I held her in my arms on a ferry boat ride across the Rhine.

Ethan graduated from High School last night. Congratulations Ethan. I love you and am so proud of you!

Ethan is my oldest of my nine great grand kids. And of course the first one to finish High School. How many of the other eight great grand kids will I see do the same?

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Oatmeal for breakfast.

I was enjoying my Sunday morning oatmeal at Starbucks this morning. I had a memory from my childhood in depression era California. I was 11 or 12. I was standing in the pitch black (shortly before dawn) looking up at a brightly lighted kitchen window. I was across the street from where I lived. The kitchen was in the mansion of a rich widow. She owned the duplex where I lived,

I tapped the window and the maid let me in. She sat me at small counter and served me a hot bowl of oatmeal. (there were raisons in the oatmeal and it was topped with brown sugar and milk) I was hungry and ate it all.

The rich widow (bless her) evidently thought I needed a hot breakfast and had my Dad send me over (I believe most mornings) for oatmeal. I do not recall her being in the kitchen, just the maid.

I vividly recall the black mornings and the brightly lighted kitchen window. I sure do remember the oatmeal!


Rosa is doing fine considering....


Rosa is doing fine considering that she is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer. We had a good visity yesterday. She was sharper than usual. Love that Lady!


Friday, May 10, 2019

VFW Meeting of May 9, 2019.

The meeting was called to order by Commander JD Harper. Thanks JD for your years of service and dedication to the Ruston Post of the VFW. And to all Veteran Affairs. Thank you very much.


Here is a time lapse video of the meeting. I am in the front row of the audience . I have on a grey shirt.


Monday, May 6, 2019

Three of my great grandsons go fishing.

Ethan, Ross, and Christian Newberry went fishing last weekend at Lake Bruin. They live in West Monroe.


Some one had to cook and bait the hooks so the boys invited their Grand Paw John Adams to join them.


The four guys had a great weekend. Christian caught a big turtle.


The fishing is easy at Lake Bruin. They stay at an Entergy fishing camp which has a fishing dock.



After all the fun John came home and cleaned fish for an hour or two.




Saturday, May 4, 2019

Flem Attack.

Okay I am an idiot. I have aways used flem, not phlegm. I will continue doing so. This is a report on an incident concerning my esophagus problems. For several weeks I have been starting the day with drinking Ensure, which is a protein drink. It seemed to be too thick for my esophagus and over time became more so. Finally it became uncomfortable and caused me to gag. So I gave it up. I always like to get something on my stomach first thing in the morning so my pill taking would not make me noxious.

I have been using a few spoons of applesauce. Which did not cause any problem. I can not eat a meal first thing in the morning. (I always ate first thing in the morning in years past.) But I recently passed out with a gulp in the night. With care I can eat a little after I have been up two or three hours.

I thought that my flem attack problem was due to the make up of Ensure. Not so. Yesterday I ate four grapes and had a terrible flem attack. My esophagus closed up completely and I was in distress until I managed to hawk up a lot of flem. So the flem is a new early morning thing? Caused by certain foods?

My swallowing problem started twenty years ago and the symptoms have changed over time. I am hoping that they might change for the better, but we will see. Maybe flem is better than passing out.


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